


Beyond the Isolated Walls

by Empty_Minded_Sumi



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series, persona - Fandom
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Mer AU, Other, Social Anxiety, confidant, mermaid au, sumitaba
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:34:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29578257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Empty_Minded_Sumi/pseuds/Empty_Minded_Sumi
Summary: "Sumire took a quick moment to study who was grabbing her.They looked like a teenage girl with bright orange hair that reminded her of a shimmering goldfish. Her eyes were a brilliant violet, pale skin that made her look like a vampire, thick rimmed glasses, and a pastel yellow swimsuit which humans wore.Admittedly, she was a bit cute.Something about her was alluring to her. Maybe it was the bright hair? Purple eyes that looked like amethyst?Her voice?Sumire could ponder on the girl later."
Relationships: Sumire Yoshizawa & Futaba Sakura





	Beyond the Isolated Walls

**Author's Note:**

> This has spoilers for Persona 5 Royal, so I would proceeded with caution.  
> But I've had this in a draft for a while, and I finally found the time to post it.  
> This is my first post on her so please feel free to critique.

Futaba couldn’t remember the last time she’d actually gone out, or even the last time she’d even talked to another person face to face.

So, her sudden expedition to the beach with her newly made friends that were the Phantom Thieves was stressful.

Even though it was stressful, the thieves gave her the full support she needed to get through the tough yet fun day on the sandy area of Miura Beach.

She wasn’t the fan of the swimsuit Ann had picked out for her, but she didn’t have time to get anything better, so she couldn’t complain.

Well, she could complain about it, but that wouldn’t be a good idea. 

But besides the revealing pastel yellow swimsuit, she was practically having a blast with Ann and Makoto. 

They both showed her all the things she missed out while being stuck in her sorrowful prison of grief and pain.

The shining sun, delicious food from food trucks that were strewn across the street, the cool and fresh waves of the beach which stretched out for who knows how long.

It was all so pleasant and thrilling, maybe a bit too thrilling.

Futaba truly couldn’t remember the last time she had this much fun.

She’d always been wallowing in her own depression and grief like a pig in a puddle of mudd. 

Feeling the sun on her skin, the grainy texture of sand, the cool waters of the ocean, and the fresh air which filled her lungs was well. 

A breath of fresh air. 

She was practically beaming with joy by the end of the day, bouncing off the ground and smiling mischievously. 

The ginger wandered off on her own, alone along the beach shore which was showered by the slowly fading away sun which breached on the edge of the deep waters. 

The peaceful tune of the water which was like the song of angels, the slowly growing cold temperature, the harsh rocks which were weathered away by the waves, the water stained sand which grew soft and moist. 

Futaba sighed heavily, stretching her arms up in the air as she continued her short and lonely walk.

She pressed her lips together tightly and looked over at the sun.

It was nice.

The bright ball of light was fading down into the night, the yellow fading to orange, orange to pink, and then soon pink to a deep purple that was as beautiful as a lavender field.

When was the last time she’d seen a sunset this beautiful? 

When her mother was alive? 

Yeah.

Those times were the best.

Futaba smiled softly, her eyes falling back to the sandy roads above her.

Her heart filled with joy once more.

Her heart felt like it was infected with butterflies, just like the drop of a drop ride that Akira and Ann had taken her on at Destiny Land.

The ginger tried to stifle her smile, but failed at the ticklish feeling which made her stomach squirm. 

But she should probably return back soon, Akira and them were waiting for her after she said she’d take a walk down the beach.

So she did.

Slowly making her way back to the area they set up.

Well, without some unexpected detours. 

~

Sumire couldn’t stop breathing heavily as dread filled her heart, making her speed through the tropical waters.

Blood gushed from a cut that laid on her cheek, it slowly staining the edge of the water, fading away slowly maybe for some shark to track.  
She heaved, her ruby red tail pushing her forward even harder and harder and harder as she tried to escape those men.

Her eyes darted around the ocean area.

It was nothing but an empty floor with few fish, nothing that she’d be able to hide behind and escape those men.

Escape the men who were her sister’s killers.

Kasumi’s killers…

Rage slowly filled her, but she discarded it for a moment.

Her escape, her daring escape from those men.

Sumire swam, and swam, and swam, and swam as far as she could.

But where would she go?

Those men had weapons, harpons, nets, a boat that could go even faster than her tail no matter how fit she was. 

It was hopeless.

She was hopeless…

That was, until Sumire had a plausible stroke of stupidity or maybe genius. 

Maybe, just maybe, if she could get a human to kiss her, she could maybe be human.

It was a risky idea, but anything to escape those hunters.

She’d do anything.

She could hear the motor of the boat that chased her, its revving engine made her heart leap out of her chest and come out of throat. 

The mer pressed her lips together and swished her tail down powerfully, the flukes of her tail sending her forward towards the shore in hopes to maybe find a human

Any human, she didn’t care how they looked, what gender, or who they were, just literally anyone willing to let her give them a little peck, not even a full of lip to lips.

The shore was growing close which filled her with a semblance of hope, just a couple more meters and she could lose to the boat as well since it couldn’t reach her there.

Or she hoped. 

Sumire reached the land, her savior.

She practically leaped onto it like a seal onto the rocks of a cove, 

The cold sand under her skin, the warm sun on her skin, the grainy feeling sticking to her arms, her ears twitching at feeling. 

She couldn’t see any humans around, or she couldn’t sense one around.

Sumire sighed, dragging herself closer to the shore and brought herself closer to a dock which didn’t provide much cover for her.

It was nothing but a rickety old dock which she could only guess the humans near had built a few decades back. 

The water was rotting the wood away, seaweed climbed up it, the old metal bolts rusting away with a copper hue that made her cringe.

Her tail hung lazily in the water, trying to relax herself but she didn’t find it easy.

She could still see those hunters coming towards her, their large boat threatening to attack her to keep her as a prize to be admired instead of a free being that she was.

She was just like them!

She had a family, some friends, feelings, emotions and everything those humans had!

So why didn’t they see her as equal?

Why did they see her as a monster to be hunted?

A being with the tail of a fish.

She wasn’t scary.

She was just…

She wasn’t a killer.

Nor would she let these men kill her like they killed Kasumi! 

She wouldn’t let that fate take hold on her and drag her into the abyss!

Sumire turned around and dug her nails into the rotten wood, pulling her tail over the edge and using it to push herself forward again.

That was till something swiftly grabbed her from under her armpits, trying to drag her towards themselves which made her ears perk up, tail buckle and flukes freeze in place.

She hissed at the thing which grabbed her which made it drop her, head thunking against the sturdy wood which made her yelp.

“I-I-I’m sorry!’ They exclaimed with a frantic stutter which made Sumire even more tense.

Their voice sounded young and innocent, like a young child who’d just been yelled at by their parents and was now on the borderline of crying.

She felt bad for hissing at them.

“I-I noticed that you were having t-t-t-trouble and I saw that boat!” They exclaimed even louder, probably a bit too loud. It made her tense up again, pupils narrowing down.

Sumire took a quick moment to study who was grabbing her.

They looked like a teenage girl with bright orange hair that reminded her of a shimmering goldfish. Her eyes were a brilliant violet, pale skin that made her look like a vampire, thick rimmed glasses, and a pastel yellow swimsuit which humans wore. 

Admittedly, she was a bit cute. 

Something about her was alluring to her. Maybe it was the bright hair? Purple eyes that looked like amethyst? Her voice? 

Sumire could ponder on the girl later.

But she didn’t look like she was trying to hurt her.

To what the mer could recognize, she was trying to help her which made Sumire instantly guilty.

“I-I’m sorry!” She apologized to the girl, dipping her head down frantically. “I shouldn’t have hissed at you, I-I’m so sorry!” 

The orange haired girl looked just as panicked as the girl, but accepted her apology swiftly and returned to her attempt to try and drag Sumire to the shore.

Sumire tried her best to help the girl as well, using her bright red tail to push herself off the dock, digging it into the grooves which gave her some semblance of help.

But the girl who was trying to help was, the best way Sumire could put it kindly, a sardine. 

The girl had good intentions, very good intentions in helping her even though she was a mer. 

She didn’t have the muscle to back it up.

Although, Sumire could respect her attempt dearly.

That’s when Sumire saw it.

Her golden opportunity. 

It was selfish of her but…

She had to.

Quickly and swiftly, Sumire pressed her lips against the cheek of the orange haired girl who was kind enough to save her from those men. 

Her skin was smooth and soft, almost like the soft silk of the fancy gowns she’d sometimes find underwater at times which flowed it the water like a jellyfish. 

The orange haired girl’s face was quickly flushed with the brightest red hue she’d ever seen in her entire life, maybe it was ever brighter than her own tail.

Sumire felt stupid for kissing her randomly like that, really stupid for doing it.

She was embarrassed, her own cheeks flushing up in a bright pink which made her cover her mouth with her webbed hands. They were incredibly warm, like the warm bubbles of an underwater volcano that slowly flowed out.

She couldn’t help but stutter out another desperate apology. 

“I-I-I-I’m so sorry, oh my god.” She stammered out, reaching out towards the redhead who was in a state of shock.

Oh no.

Sumire was practically sent into full blown panic mode.

“D-D-D-Did I hurt you!?” She yelled, grabbing onto the shoulders of the girl, staring her right in her violet colored eyes intently. “I-I-I-I didn’t mean too!” 

“Y-You have legs.” The ginger stammered,pointing at the Sumire where her long tail usually would be. 

“Huh?” She blurted out with pure confusion, turning her attention to where her tail would be.

Instead, she was met with something that was great and maybe not so great.

She had a pair of two long legs that were pale and smooth, and stiff.

So incredibly stiff that it was like that time she’d sprained her tail that one day playing around with the kids in her pod. 

Her waist hurt, her lungs somewhat burned and everything felt like it was on fire.

Or what she assumed fire felt like.

It was more akin to a zap and tingling feeling of an electrical eel burying itself into her legs.

But her legs.

She had legs…

Sumire reached up to feel her neck.

Her gills were gone and she could no longer twitch her ears.

So it worked.

She was human.

She was human, cold, and…

Naked. 

Naked all aside the bra which covered her breasts thankfully. 

So it was a stupid idea in the end.

But at least it saved her life from those hunters.

Their motorboat slowly had gone off onto the distances and fading away into the rising moon light which bestowed her and the orange haired girl. The water was still rippling as it left them both alone.

Speaking of her.

Sumire turned to face her with nervous curiosity, remembering that she’d just kissed her without her consent in a desperate move to get the legs which now felt like sand bags. 

Heavy, miserable sand bags. 

But the girl’s bright red blush soon faded as she averted her gaze away.

Back to apologizing again.

She must’ve embarrassed the girl so much.

“I-I’m so deeply sorry that I kissed you-” She paused for a moment. 

Sumire literally just kissed a stranger she didn’t know the name of.

A cute one at that.

But the ginger gave her answer.

“F-Futaba.” She introduced herself, her voice airy and withdrawn. She sounded a bit loopy and disorientated, like she’d just woken up from a deep sleep. “F-Futaba Sakura, uh.”

Sumire froze up.

Right, it was only proper of her.

“S-Sumire Yoshizawa, t-t-t-thank you for helping me.” She quickly spat out with a panic. “I can’t thank you enough Sakura.”

Sakura looked uncomfortable with Sumire’s rather polite way of speaking, a visible cringe behind her glasses.

“F-F-Futaba is fine.” She sputtered out wildly, fiddling around with her strands of hair, twirling the bright orange color around her finger. 

Sumire quickly nodded like she was a bobble head toy. 

“Thank you again, Futaba-chan.” She bowed her head. “I-I-I-It means a lot to me.”

“Y-You mean that kiss?” Futaba spat out, pointing at her cheek flustered behind comprehension. 

They both stayed silent for a moment, staring at the old yet sturdy wooden dock.

Sumire had some explaining to do.

Tons of it.


End file.
